UNICEF Best Photo
The 2020 UNICEF best photo shows children fleeing the burning Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos.
The picture by the Greek photographer Angelos Tzortzinis captures the bravery, bewilderment and helpfulness of children in the face of dire need in a moving snapshot, as the UN Children’s Fund announced today.
On 8 September 2020, a fire badly damaged the camp of more than 12,000 asylum seekers, which may have been started deliberately to protest quarantine measures, that came after detecting positive COVID-19 cases in the camp. On 10 September, three Greek ships were sent to help shelter the migrants.
By 10 September, the camp was almost completely destroyed. Most of the refugees were left homeless on the street. During protests demanding their evacuation Greek police fired tear gas at them.
The second prize in the renowned competition went to a report by Indian photographer Supratim Bhattacharjee. He focuses on the fate of working children in the largest coal fields in Asia.
The German-Russian photographer Evgeny Makarov made it to third place. He dealt with a ballet school in Brazil – this is a response to the violence and drugs in everyday life of children in the slums of Rio de Janeiro.
